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21st Avenue business district gets preliminary approval | Paterson Times

21st Avenue business district gets preliminary approval

21st-avenue-sid

A business improvement district in the city’s People’s Park section that promises to promote and encourage economic growth received preliminary approval from the city council.

The 21st Avenue Special Improvement District (SID) will add an additional assessment to commercial property owners’ tax bills to provide enhanced security, cleaner streets, and visual improvements.

Among the improvements the district’s feasibility study mentions uniform facades, sidewalk landscape with thematic design, and upscale commercial shop signage with accompanying awnings.

It also promises to better market the booming 21st Avenue  — La Ventiuno as it is known to area residents. The district will also aid in reducing commercial vacancies in the area, according to the feasibility that paved the way for its creation.

Single and two-family homes are excluded from additional taxation. There was an convoluted clause that included and excluded non-profit organizations, but that was amended on Tuesday evening, prior to the vote.

Kenneth Morris, councilman at-large, amended the ordinance to clarify that point: his amendment allows a non-profit to voluntarily join or not. The side’s borders include at least one non-profit, mainly, the Boys and Girls Club of Paterson.

The district’s boundary encompasses 21st Avenue from Straight Street to East 33rd Street including Beckwith Avenue and Lindbergh Place; Market Street from East 29th to East 34th Streets; and first block of Madison Avenue off 21st Avenue, according to the feasibility study completed by Caldwell-based Millennium Strategies.

“This will elevate the interest in the area and beautify it,” remarked Andre Sayegh, 6th Ward councilman, who has been the driving force behind the district.

After Tuesday’s precursory approval a final vote remains. A public hearing and final adoption will take place on June 30th, 2015.

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